Centerless grinder



April 28, 1931. c. BOOTH CENTERLESS GRINDER Filed April 1926 4 Sheets-Shee 1 April 28, 1931.

C. BOOTH -CENTERLESS GRINDER 4 Sheets-Shee 2 Filed April 17, 1926 April 28, 1931. c. BOOTH 1,803,165

QENTERLESS GRINDER Filed April 1926 4sneets-sneet 3 glnuzntoz i n rfi April 28, 1931. BOOT-H 1,803,165

CENTERLESS GRINDER Filed April 1 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED s'm'rss CLEMENT BOOTH, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CINCINNATI GRIN'DERS INCORPORATED, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PATENT OFFICE CENTERLESS GRINDER Application filed April 17,

This invention has reference to centerless grinding machinery and more particularly to upon the work-piece. When such grinding is to be performed upon work-pieces of considerable weight and length, it is more difficult to cause the regulating wheel to properly grip such work to perform the double function aforesaid.

It is, therefore, one of the purposes of the present invention to provide a novel and improved mechanism which will cooperate with the regulating wheel in securing proper rotation and feed of the work.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism of this nature which will permit of the ready insertion and removal of the work and which may be read ily adjusted to vary the rate of feed of the work or to adapt it to work of varying diameters.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, and it will be understood that any modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 represents a front view of a machine with the improved feeding and rotating mechanism applied thereto.

Figure 2 represents a view partially in elevation and partially in section, taken as on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Fi ure 4 is a section on the line 44 of .said gure.

1926. Serial No. 102,777.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View of the mounting of the upper pressure roll.

Figure 6 is a detail of the mounting of the lower work-supporting rolls and swing bracket.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the machine with the driving attachments applied to both the entrant and discharge sides of the machine.

In the drawings in which similar characters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates the base or bed of a conventional centerless grinder having the grinding wheel G, the opposed regulating Wheel R and intermediate these parts a work-carrier or rest C supported on the bed as by the bracket B.

It will be understood that the regulating wheel R is preferably mounted for angular adjusting or tilting of its axis in order that it may exert the desired feed component on the Work WV, to be passed through the machine.

The work W is shown in the form of a long rod or bar of relatively large. diameter. With a work-piece of thisnature it is desirable and, for best results, necessary that the outer .end be supported so that the axis of the work-piece extends parallel with the work-rest or carrier C. In addition, I have found that it is desirable that both a feeding and rotating movement'be imparted to thisouter end to aid the regulating wheel in overcoming the inertia and friction on account of the size and weight of the work-piece to the end, that its movement from end to end through the machine may be regular and collar 12 shiftable in adjusted position as on the thread 13 and preferably secured as by a clamping member 14. This bears at its upper end the furcations 15 between which is secured one end of the supporting plate 16. The other end of this plate is carried by the adjustable bracket 17 on the upper end of post 11. Post 11 also bears a second vertically adjustable bracket 18 which may be secured in position as by the clamp screw 19.

This latter bracket bears the main workengaging and rotating mechanism including a prime mover in the form of a motor or like source of power 21. This motor through suitable connections drives worm gear 22 on shaft 23 which is journaled in bushing 24 of upright 25 on bracket 18. A gear 26 on the shaft 23 meshes withthe pinions 27 and 28 respectively mounted concentric with the rotatable work-supporting rolls 29 and 30, being secured to said rolls so that upon actuation of the prime mover 21 power will be applied to shaft 23 and thence through the gear and pinion connections to the members 29 and 30 to cause them to rotate in the direction of the arrows thereon. In other words, the two rolls have their'adjacent portions traveling in opposite directions with the result that they both exert a thrust against the work-piece WV resting thereon, tending to rotate this work-piece in a clockwise direction as respects Figure .3 of the drawings.

The weight of the Work resting on these two rolls will cause the rolls to frictionally engage and rotate the work-piece prior to its engagement bv the regulating wheel and to continue its rotation aftersuch engagement. To increase the pressure of the work on these i supporting rolls, bushing 24 has an inward extension on which is swivelled the arcuatebracket 31 having a slotted upper end 32 with which is slidably engaged tongue 33 of housing 34. This housing has a reduced bore 35 to receive the threaded spindle 36 and an enlarged bore as at 37 in which slides head 38 secured against relative movement as by key 39. Interposed between head 38 and shoulder 40 at the top of the enlarged bore 37 is the compression spring 41 tending to urge the head downwardly as respects the housing. Depending from head 38 is a threaded stud 42 on which is rotatably mounted bracket 43 hearing pressure roll 44. This bracket and its attached'roll is adapted to be locked in desired angularly adjusted position with respect to the arcuate bracket-arm 31 and consequently with respect to the path of travel of the work-piece by tightening of clamp nut 45 on the lower end of the stud 42.

A clamp member 46 engaged with head 32 and tongue 33 on housing 34 serves to secure the housing and thus the roll 44 in desired vertically adjusted position with respect to the fixed or nonshiftable rolls 29 and 30 according to the diameter of work-piece W which fits between these rolls. At the same time adjustment of nut 47 on the upper end of spindle 36 serves to vary the spring pressure exerted by roll 44 against the work, while limiting the amount of downward movement of this roll.

The operation of this mechanism should be best understood by reference to Figure 3 from which it will be seen that when the workpiece TV is resting in desired position upon the rolls 29 and 30, it is merely necessary to press downwardly on handle 48 of bracketarm 31 when the upper end of the arm will be swung inwardly over the workpiece, spring 41 yielding to allow pressure roll 44 to ride up on top of the work-piece and best hold same down against the actuating rolls. Upon starting of motor 21, the rolls will then be driven, imparting rotation to work-piece W. At the same time the angular adjustment of roll 44 as indicated in Figures 2 and 8 will cause the roll to exert a feeding component lengthwise of the bar, tending to shift the work toward the right in Figure 2, when the work is driven in a clock-wise direction as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3.

To supplement the supporting of the work and at the same time aid roll 44 in its feeding action, member 16 serves as a support for one or more furcated brackets 50. These brackets are locked in adjusted position as by set-screws 51 and have the outer arms of their furcations provided with the sockets 52 for the studs 53 hearing the anti-friction rolls 54 for engagement with work 1V. The vertical position of these members is primarily adjusted by adjustment 'of the supportingbrackets 15 and 17 and may be effected by in and out adjustment of the studs int-heir sockets as controlled by the clamp screws 55. In addition, as is indicated in Figures 1 and 8, these members are set at an angle corresponding to the angle of roll 44, so that they also will exert a longitudinally feeding com ponent against the work as they rotate in contact therewith, causing the further advance of the work. Preferably, the angle selected is such as to impart a slightly greater feed to the work than that normally imparted by the angle on the regulating wheel, with the result that there is always a force or pressing tendency of the rolls to advance the work through the machine, rather than a retarding effect where their thrust angle is less than that of the regulating wheel.

To lock the pressure roll in proper engagement with the work while permitting of readily swinging of the same out of the way when work-piece is to be removed, use is preferably made of a latch 56 engaging the shank of handle 48. It will be understood that when this latch is released and the roll 44 swung out of the way that the work-piece may be readily placed on or lifted off of the rolls 29 and 30 and supporting-rolls 54.

I claim 1. The combination with a centerless grinder including opposed grinding and regulating wheels and an intermediate work-support of a work feeding attachment therefore, including supports adapted to be mounted adjacent the machine, work-supporting rolls carried by the supports, means for vertically adjusting the rolls to bring their operative surfaces in position to maintain the axis of a work-piece parallel with the work-support, means for positively driving certain of the rolls to impart a rotative movement to a work-piece resting thereon, and means for angularly adjusting others of the rolls to vary the longitudinal feed of work in rotative engagement therewith. V

2. A work controlling attachment for a centerless grinder comprising a supporting bracket, means for vertically adjusting the bracket, a support mounted on the bracket, a prime mover carried by the bracket, a shaft rotatable in the support and in driving engagement with the prime mover, a driving gear on the shaft, work-engaging rolls on the support having pinion portions meshing with the gear, whereby said rolls are rotated with their adjacent faces moving in opposite directions, means maintaining said rolls in fixed position adjacent each other to provide a work-supporting trough, a pressure roll, and means for moving the pressure roll into alinement with the trough to force a workpiece against the driven rolls and for moving the pressure roll out of said alinement to release the work-piece.

3. A work controlling attachment for a centerless grinder comprising a supporting bracket, means for vertically adjusting the bracket, a support mounted on the bracket,

a prime mover carried by the bracket, a shaft rotatable in the support and in driving engagement with the prime mover, a driving gear on the shaft, work-engaging rolls on the support having pinion portions meshing with the gear, whereby said rolls are rotated with their adjacent faces moving in opposite directions, said rolls being held in fixed position adjacent each other to provide aworksupporting trough, a yieldably mounted pressure roll, means for moving the pressure roll .into alinement with the trough to force a work-piece against the driven rolls and for moving the pressure roll out of said alinement to release the work-piece, and means for locking the pressure roll in work-engaging position.

4. A work controlling attachment for a centerless grinder comprising a supporting bracket, means for vertically adjusting the bracket, a support mounted on the bracket, a prime mover carried by the bracket, a shaft rotatable in the support and in driving engagement with the prime mover, a driving gear on the shaft, work-engaging rolls on the support having pinion portions meshing with the gear, whereby said rolls are rotated with their adjacent faces moving in opposite directions, said rolls being positioned adjacent each other to provide a work-supporting trough, a pressure roll, means for moving the pressure roll into alinement with the trough to force a work-piece against the driven rolls and for moving the pressure roll out of said alinement to release the work-piece, and means for adjusting the angular relationship of the presure roll with respect to the driven rolls. 7

5. A, work controlling attachment for a centerless grinder comprising a supporting bracket, means for vertically adjusting the bracket, a support mounted on the bracket, a prime mover carried by the bracket, a shaft rotatable in the support and in driving engagement with the prime mover, a driving gear on the shaft, work-engaging rolls on the support having pinion portions meshing with the gear, whereby said rolls are rotated with their adjacent faces moving in opposite directions, said rolls being positioned adjacent each other to provide a work-supporting trough, a pressure roll, means for moving the pressure roll into alinement with the trough to force a work-piece against the driven rolls and for moving the pressure roll urging the pressure roll away from its support in the direction of the driven rolls.

6. A work controlling attachment for a centerless grinder including supports, a plurality of work-engaging rolls carried by the supports, certain of said rolls being disposed at right angles to the path of the work-piece and others being disposed at an acute angle to said path, adjustable connections between the rolls and support, whereby the angular relationship thereof may be varied as desired, and means for positively driving the right angle rolls to impart rotation to a work-piece in engagement therewith, whereby the acute angle rolls will through the frictional engagement of the Work-piece therewith cause a longitudinal feeding of the work-piece when so rotated.

7. The combination with a centerless grinder including opposcd grinding and regulating wheels and an intermediate worksupport, said parts being so related that he regulating wheel will exert both a rotative and a longitudinal thrusting action upon a work-piece introduced into the throat formed by these three members, and supplemental work-controlling means including a plurality of rolls arranged to maintain the exterior portion of the work-piece with its axis in parallelism to the work-support at the point of contact with the work, means for driving certain of said rolls at a surface speed in excess of the surface speed of the regulating wheel and means for causing certain of the rolls to exert an axial feeding thrust on the work-piece at a rate in excess of the feeding thrust exerted by the machine.

8. A mechanism of the character described including a supporting-bracket having a driven shaft journaled therein, means for driving the shaft, a gear on the shaft, a pair of work-supporting rolls disposed adjacent each other to provide a work-receiving trough, said rolls having pinions meshing with the gear and driven thereby, an arouate arm pivoted concentric with the shaft and having a portion adapted to be swung to over-lie one of the rolls, a housing carried by said portion of the arm and extending above the work-receiving trough, a pressure roll supported by the housing-and means within the housing for urging the pressure roll against a work-piece within the trough.

9. A mechanism of the character described including a supporting-bracket having a driven shaft journaled therein, means for driving the shaft, a gear on the shaft, a pair of work-supporting rolls disposed adjacent each other to provide a work-receiving trough, said rolls having pinions meshing with the gear and driven thereby, an arcuate arm pivoted concentric with the shaft and having a portion adapted to be swung to over-lie one of the rolls, a housing carried by said portion of the arm and extending above the Work-receiving trough, a pressure roll supported by the housing, means within the housing for urging the pressure roll against a work-piece within the trough and means for securing the pressure roll in desired an gularly adjusted position to cause the pressure rolls to exert a feed component against the work-piece when the latter is rotated by the action of the driven gear on the pinions of the supporting-rolls.

10. A mechanism of the character described including a supporting bracket having a driven shaft journaled therein, means for driving the shaft, a gear on the shaft, a pair of work-supporting rolls disposed adj acent each other to provide a Work-receiving trough, said rolls having pinions meshing with the gear and driven thereby, an arcuate arm pivoted concentric with the shaft and having a portion adapted to be swung to over-lie one of the rolls, a housing carried by said portion of the arm and extending above the work-receiving trough, a pressure roll supported by the housing, means within the housing for urging the pressure roll against a work-piece within the trough and means for securing the arm with the pressure roll over-lying the work-supporting trough.

11. The combination with a centerless grinder of a work-controlling attachment for use in conjunction therewith comprising a.

support, work-supporting rolls carried by the support, means for vertically adjusting the position of said rolls, means on the support for rotating said rolls, a pressure device movable into and out of position to cooperate with said rolls, means for varying the position of the pressure device with respect to the rolls to accommodate work of diiferent diameters, additional means for resiliently urging the pressure device against a workpiece and means for varying the angular relationship of the pressure device with respect to the supporting rolls.

12. A centerless grinding and regulating wheels forming a work-receiving throat therebetween, the regulating wheel being driven at a slow rate of rotation to frictionally engage and control the rate of rotation of a workpiece during the action of the grinding wheel thereon, a work-rest disposed within the throat, means at the entrance end of the work-rest for imparting rotative and longitudinal feeding movements to a work-piece independent of the action of the grinding and regulating wheels thereon, and additional means at the exit side for engaging the emergent end of a work-piece to continue the rotative and feeding movements thereof, and means imparting rotative and feeding thrust components to said members exteriorly of the machine in excess of the corresponding components of the machine, whereby lag of the Work relative to the driving forces of the machine is prevented.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name. I

CLEMENT BOOTH.

grinder including opposed 

